La Liga Fixtures 2015 Week 21: Schedule, Live Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Week 21 of the La Liga is set to be a daunting one for Real Madrid. The table toppers will be called into double duty in less than a week as they make up for games missed during the FIFA Club World Cup.
Los Blancos will entertain both Real Sociedad and Sevilla, with only three days separating the fixtures. Worst still, manager Carlo Ancelotti's team will have to cope without free-scoring talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, who is set to begin his suspension for kicking out during last week's narrow win at Cordoba.
That makes this a great week for fellow title contenders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to stake their claims to this season's title. Each face tricky-looking games but are both currently enjoying fine form.
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Here's a full breakdown of the week's fixtures, including schedule and viewing details, along with picks:
| Match | Date | Time | Live Stream | Pick |
| Rayo Vallecano vs. Deportivo La Coruna | Friday, January 30 | 7:45 p.m. (GMT) / 2:45 p.m. (ET) | beInSports Connect | 2-0 |
| Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad | Saturday, January 31 | 3 p.m. (GMT) / 10 a.m. (ET) | beInSports Connect | 2-1 |
| Eibar vs. Atletico Madrid | Saturday, January 31 | 5 p.m. (GMT) / 12 p.m. (ET) | Sky Go / beInSports Connect | 0-2 |
| Granada vs. Elche | Saturday, January 31 | 7 p.m. (GMT) / 2 p.m. (ET) | beInSports Connect | 0-0 |
| Celta Vigo vs. Cordoba | Saturday, January 31 | 9 p.m. (GMT) / 4 p.m. (ET) | beIn Sports Connect | 1-0 |
| Levante vs. Athletic Bilbao | Sunday, February 1 | 11 a.m. (GMT) / 6 a.m. (ET) | beIn Sports Connect | 1-1 |
| Almeria vs. Getafe | Sunday, February, 1 | 4 p.m. (GMT) / 11 a.m. (ET) | beIn Sports Connect | 0-0 |
| Sevilla vs. Espanyol | Sunday, February 1 | 6 p.m. (GMT) / 1 p.m. (ET) | Sky Go / beIn Sports Connect | 2-1 |
| Barcelona vs. Villarreal | Sunday, February 1 | 8 p.m. (GMT) / 3 p.m. (ET) | Sky Go / beIn Sports Connect | 3-2 |
Real Sociedad boss David Moyes will likely be relishing the prospect of facing a Ronaldo-less Madrid. The former Everton and Manchester United manager has already scored a win over Barcelona since arriving in La Liga.
Speaking of Barca, opponents Villarreal will hope their usually rock-solid defence won't be impacted too much by the sale of centre-back Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal.
Here are the key players who can make a difference this week:
Neymar Jr., Barcelona
Barcelona fans are now starting to see what all the fuss was about with Neymar Jr. The cheetah-fast Brazilian forward is enjoying the proverbial rich vein of form at the moment.
The gifted 22-year-old has bagged 21 goals in just 25 appearances this season, per WhoScored.com. In fact, Neymar's prolific form has even seen him surpass the early career exploits of La Liga greats Ronaldo and Barca icon Lionel Messi, according to Catalan publication Sport (h/t Brazil Stats):
"Goals scored at the age of 22: #Neymar: 212 Messi: 140 Cristiano: 98 Via Catalan newspaper Sport.
— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats) January 28, 2015"
Neymar has formed a devastating partnership with club talisman Lionel Messi following a difficult first season at the Camp Nou. The Brazilian star is now proving his doubters wrong.
He's become a very significant figure in Barca's title charge. Expect his strong recent form to continue.
Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid
As well as Neymar is playing, few attackers in La Liga are currently as impressive as Antoine Griezmann. The ex-Sociedad star is rapidly emerging as Atletico's go-to match-winner.
ESPN FC writer Joseph Walker detailed the Frenchman's recent surge in form:
"He may still lack the muscles of others in the Atletico squad, but Simeone now has his man. Griezmann arguably turned the tide of Atletico's season with a stunning second-half hat trick to slay old Basque rivals Athletic Club just before Christmas. Since then he has started six of Atletico's seven games, adding another four goals.
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Griezmann doesn't need power to overwhelm defences. A lot of the time he doesn't even need his electric pace to bewilder them.
The best part of the 23-tear-old's game is his off-the-ball movement. Specifically, it's the timing and variations of his forward runs.
Griezmann glides into pockets of space, or darts between gaps. It's a joy to watch him sneak into the box to meet a late pass with either a deft touch from the inside of his foot, or a surprisingly strong header.
Griezmann's form is even having an influence on how Atletico builds their attacks. Now clever schemers like midfield general Koke and sly winger Arda Turan often first look for a Griezmann run before firing a pass between the lines.
Gareth Bale, Real Madrid
Ronaldo's absence will give Gareth Bale the chance to shine for Los Merengues. The Welshman struck the penalty that beat Cordoba. Now he must add to his season's tally of 10 La Liga goals, per WhoScored.com, to make sure Ancelotti's men don't miss Ronaldo.
Stepping out from Ronaldo's shadow hasn't always been easy for the former Tottenham Hotspur ace. Bale has even incurred the wrath of Madrid supporters for not passing to Ronaldo, per BBC Sport.
However, no fan can deny Bale's obvious talents. His pace is breathtaking. The 25-year-old also possesses a thunderous shot with his left foot, as well as underrated power in the air.
Expect Bale to take his chance and produce in Ronaldo's absence.
The title race is sure to hot up after Week 21's fixtures. Table-topping Los Blancos are certainly under increasing pressure from Barca and neighbours Atletico.
The latter's recent form shows a team not willing to give up their title so easy. Meanwhile, free-scoring Barcelona are beginning to look ominously good.
